Orissa is officially called as Odisha these days. It is a state of India located in south east coast by the Bay of Bengal. They have Oriya as official language. It is said as Odiya in English. It is the modern name of ancient place named Kalinga. The place was discovered by Mauryan Emporer Ashoka. Bhubaneswar is the capital of the state. Earlier, its capital was Cuttak. April 1 is considered as foundation day of the state and is called as Utkala Dibasa. It is the nineth largest state area wise. The turning point in emperor Ashoka’s life, the Kalinga war, which led Ashoka to imbibe non-violence and teachings of Buddha took placed in Orissa. There are number of temples in here. Cuttack, the former capital and Bhubaneswar are called as twin cities by rapid expansion and better road connections. There is a city called Puri, which is considered as holy city dedicated to Lord Jagannath. It is one of the four holy places of Hinduism. The car festival, which is a world famous festival, is celebrated grandly every year in the Hindu month of Ashadha. There are places like Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani Rivers, which flow towards Bay of Bengal lies along the coastal side of Orissa. These are alluvial plains, and hence fertile and have rich rice cultivation. Asia’s largest rice research institute, Central rice research institute is situated here. Unique olive red turtles are founded in beaches here. Around 13000 turtles are nestling here, and it is their mating place. So it is attracted for various scientific research centres. Another attraction here is the vast spaces of forest cover with unspoiled natural landscape. They provide a protected natural wildlife sanctuary. Many wildlife sanctuaries are there in Orissa . Simlipal National Park, Bitarkanika wildlife sanctuaries are few among them. There are tigers, elephants and other animals in the forest. Chilika Lake is other attraction; it is a brackish water coastal lake on Bay of Bengal. It is the largest coastal lake in India and second largest coastal lake in the world. It is a home for birds migrating during winters. There is a Chilika lake bird sanctuary to protect them. There are 160 species of migratory birds and resident species of birds. Endangered Irrawaddy dolphins are present in small area of Saptadda. The highest peak Deomali is also famous. Orissa is governed by parliamentary systems. It has abundant natural resources and coastal areas which add to the economic progress of the state. It possesses good networks of roads, rails, air and even seaport. East coast railway is connected to all parts. Orissa have 17 airstrips and 7 helipads. Biju Patnaik airport is expanded one. Ports of Damara, Gopalpur, and Paradip are the seaports. Orissa Hotels
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